There are numerous devices which have been developed providing an improved means of extracting toothpaste from collapsible toothpaste tubes. These devices although useful do not provide an apparatus which is easily loaded with a new tube of toothpaste, easily constructed using plastic molding techniques, and provide an apparatus which uniformly compresses the toothpaste tube without buckling the full end of the tube. The present apparatus provides a toothpaste dispensing device which is easily and quickly loaded with a new tube of toothpaste, while the paste is displaced from the tube using a compressing assembly comprising a motorized pair of opposing rollers which are aligned to incrementally track longitudinally up the tube compressing paste from the tube through a cap dispensing port.
The prior devices which utilize rollers for compressing a tube to displace contents require the tube end to be secured to prevent the end of the tube from trailing the rollers. While devices with rollers which incrementally move toward the full end of the tube, which do not have the compressed end secured, cause the full end of the tube to buckle prior to roller compression. The present device overcomes the problems associated with prior devices by providing a motorized opposing roller assembly. The rollers have frictional tube engagement surfaces providing positive roller movement as the rollers compress the tube. Longitudinal movement of the rollers along the tube is not motorized, however roller rotational movement is motorized and causes longitudinal roller movement as the frictional rollers surfaces engage the tube surface, thus buckling of the full end of the tube is prevented and it is not necessary to secure the compressed end.
Appuzo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,104 provides a motorized toothpaste dispenser with a pair of opposing rollers which are forced over the tube by vertical threaded shafts. Roller rotation is not engaged with a drive motor, but roller longitudinal movement is motorized. The inventor has found that motorizing longitudinal movement of the rollers, rather than motorizing roller rotation, causes the full end of the tube to prematurely buckle if the compressed end of the tube is not secured.
Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,206 provides a hand operated toothpaste dispenser with a roller which is moved the longitudinal length of the tube by rotation of a threaded shaft. This device does not result in premature buckle of the full end of the tube because the end of the tube is secured in place by a screw clip. The extra step of attaching the end of the tube is undesirable and time consuming.
Kane, U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,714 provides a motorized toothpaste dispenser similar to the Wilson device, but being motorized and without tube end securing clip. Tube buckling as described above is experienced while also considerable time is required for changing tubes.
The present invention also provides a design which includes very few moving parts and the majority of the device can be constructed using conventional plastic molding techniques.